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Some people say you can’t choose your family, but I say you can. Outside of your bloodline, you can choose what people or groups of people qualify as family to you. The majority of my “extended” family can be found within the iGaming industry; this includes close friends who work in the industry and the sector itself.
- HIPTHER: A decade of iGaming and family bonds
- Panel highlights MiCA, payments, digital identity
- AI search shift drives rise of GEO strategies
- Building websites in minutes
- Pushing for credibility
- Blending wellness with fun networking
The best way I can describe my time at HIPTHER’s Prague Summit, an iGaming and tech conference now in its 10th year, is a family reunion that leaves you feeling refreshed, happy, nostalgic, informed, and excited. This is thanks to the vibe the conference organizers nurture and the presence of attendees whom I consider family.
HIPTHER, a husband-and-wife-run business, does an amazing job hosting intimate iGaming events where attendees are treated like family. Everything from healthy vegan eats to organized AM exercise meets to the friendly WhatsApp group creates a sense of community and a “safe space” to ask questions, network, and stay up to date on the latest in tech and compliance for iGaming.
To get a feel for the familial vibes in under two minutes, watch the official HIPTHER highlights video:
The HIPTHER Prague Summit goes well beyond vibes, of course, the sessions were packed with insightful and practical information, including plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) sessions and workshops. To give you an idea of what I took away from the experience, here are my top highlights and hope to see you there next year (save the date: March 23-24, 2027!).
‘Blockchain that works’ panel
I had the pleasure of moderating the “Blockchain That Works: Identity, Infrastructure & Compliance” panel with Anna Agu of Lex Law Office, who brought us the legal and regulatory perspective, Jakub Tesar of EY with the consultant innovation perspective, Artur Kononov of Colibrix One with the payment ecosystem perspective, and Dean Rakic of Blockcontrol with the technical/infrastructure perspective.
After taking a poll at the start of our panel, it was clear the audience wanted to hear about the latest EU regulations surrounding stablecoins and crypto payments (MiCA) and how they apply to operators, CASPs, and PSPs. We were also able to cover prediction markets on the blockchain (think Polygon), smart contracts for instant payouts, opportunities for Decentralized (Digital) Identity, and why privacy on public blockchains is a game-changer.
SEO vs. GEO
Have you heard the term “GEO” yet? If not, it stands for Generative Engine Optimization, and this was a huge topic at the event because, according to Gartner, 25% of traditional search volume has already migrated to AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, bypassing Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) entirely.
To get ahead of the curve, operators and affiliates are keen to learn the tricks to getting their brands cited in these engines, and Aris Vrakas of RankBee.ai explained how to do so. He said AI platforms reasonabout what makes a good brand by looking for verifiable facts, trust signals, and structured evidence to confidently answer questions. AI forms its shortlists by associating brands with specific attributes vs. marketing claims, and he warned that if those attributes are not clearly reinforced across public, third-party, and technical sources, AI may exclude your brand even if it’s a market leader.
Vibe coding: If I can do it, you can do it!
The HIPTHER Prague Summit also included hands-on workshops over the two days, many of which included an element of AI. We all know I’m not a developer, but while attending the Vibe Coding workshop with Kasia Sadowska of FutureHabits.Tech, I was able to cook up a quick-and-dirty personal website in minutes using ChatGPT and Lovable.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if I can do it, you can do it! If you’d like to learn more about vibe coding and AI in general, here are some resources to check out:
- Deep Dive Webinar: Build Your AI-Powered MVP in 90 Minutes
- How to Choose the Right AI Model for Your Business: The Garage Guide
- Dedicated iGaming & AI event: AI Gaming Forum
I’d also like to give a quick shout-out to my colleague Kurt Wuckert Jr., who hosts a fantastic podcast every Tuesday at 2pm EST and often provides tutorials with Claude Code and other vibe coding tools, especially useful for building on a public, scalable blockchain.
iGaming Reputation panel
Thanks to Wojciech Trzaska of SB Software, I had the opportunity to speak on the iGaming Reputation panel alongside Michael Caselli, Sarah Blackburn, and Christian Heins, and discuss some of the challenges we’ve faced in both iGaming and crypto with public perception.
We all agree that both industries can do a better job of highlighting the good we do, for example, by hosting dedicated conferences such as “Crypto for Good” and charity events such as the SBC Charity Boxing event. I made the point that, as an industry, we can ensure the data we release is transparent and trustworthy, thanks to technologies such as blockchain. By backing up our claims with verifiable facts and figures, trust from outsiders will build and the negative stories can be debunked.
Healthy conferencing support
I am a huge advocate of the positive impact wellness has on our professional lives. While I understand it’s difficult to stick to wellness routines at conferences, the HIPTHER team makes it easy for us. For example, they organized an AM yoga session, an AM networking run to Prague’s famous Charles Bridge (see below!), our conference meals consisted of vegan refreshments and salad-heavy lunches, daily shoulder and neck massages were available on site, and to top it all off, the official conference hotel has a lovely gym and sauna. I was truly in my element and can’t wait to go back!
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